Have you ever been watching a show or a movie, and had to stop it before it was finished? Maybe your popcorn was done in the microwave, your friend or partner had to grab a drink, or at the worst time possible, you had to go to the bathroom. You, or the person holding the remote, hit “pause.”
Now, most times, it’s not a big deal. In five or ten minutes, you’re back on your couch, holding your popcorn, and watching your show. But every now and then, something happens and you can’t get back. The phone rings and it’s a call that has to be taken. Someone else in your house needs your attention.
Sometimes, days go by before you’re able to finish what you were watching. And often, it’s ok. But when it’s your favorite show that has just come out with new episodes, or when you’re really into a movie and you’re at the most pivotal point in the story—that unfinished feeling sticks with you. Right now, that feeling is similar to what many of us are experiencing all the time.
It feels like someone has hit a gigantic “pause” button on our lives.
Though it’s been surprising how much we have been able to continue in the midst of the pandemic—there are still things we’re waiting for. Areas of our life that have been put on hold. And we’re trying to figure out what life looks like while we wait.
Areas of our life have been put on hold. And we’re trying to figure out what life looks like while we wait.
For the last ten months, Tony and I have been working on our new house to make it feel like home, and searching for furniture has been harder than we expected. Then last week, Tony and I found the exact chairs we’d been wanting to buy, on Facebook Marketplace. They were in good condition, and at a great price. We sent a message to the seller, and the next day they were ours.
Only, when we put them in our living room, I suddenly felt sad. For years we’ve been wanting a home to welcome our friends into. To have game nights, book clubs, and dinner parties. Now we do, and those chairs were the last major pieces of furniture we needed to entertain. But currently, we don’t feel comfortable about having people over.
This is just one way our lives are on hold. But I’ve heard many others with similar stories. People finding this season a difficult one to date or meet someone. Others struggling to make a change in their job because suddenly they’re both working from home and homeschooling their kids. Many who were making big plans to invest in a dream or area of their life, only to find that due to the pandemic, they had to hit “pause.”
What do we do while we wait?
How do we fill the time or space that used to belong to the things on hold?
Today, I want to share two things I’m learning about waiting for the things we want. Often this time where it feels like nothing is happening—this time that feels like a waste—can become one of our richest, most life-giving seasons of growth. Only we need to:
Be flexible with our plans.
We have to be willing to loosen our grip on the things we want, to open ourselves up to the things that are possible right now. Tony and I have had virtual double dates and a game night with our closest friends. This month, I’m leading a Bible study online with some women I know. Though we can’t open up our home to our people right now, there are still opportunities for connection.
Take advantage of this incredible opportunity to grow as individuals.
The second thing I’m learning about waiting, is that in this time we have the chance to work on ourselves. Very often we’re so focused on what we want, that we don’t think about who we want to be—in that job, relationship, community, etc. It took Tony and I two years to begin dating after we met. And though I didn’t know it was him I was waiting for, in that time I learned how to eat healthier, went to counseling, and invested in good friendships. I am a better person and wife because I took advantage of that wait.
What are you waiting for?
How can you make the most of this time where it feels your life is on pause?
Who do you want to be when the time finally comes to hit “play” on these areas of your life?
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